The week-long 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit reaches its pinnacle today as Heads of State and Government convene to adopt the conclusive outcomes of four days of deliberations by senior officials and ministers.
Presidents Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), William Ruto (Kenya), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), Ranil Wickremesinghe (Sri Lanka), and Emmerson Munangagwa (Zimbabwe) have already arrived by press time, with South Sudan’s Salva Kiir joining on January 17.
The tight-lipped list of participating presidents, including Cuba’s Vice President Salvador Valdés, Rwanda’s Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente, and Tanzania’s Kassim Majaliwa, remains guarded for security and privacy reasons.
Today’s summit opening will witness President Museveni taking over the chairmanship for the next three years, with tomorrow’s agenda focused on adopting two crucial documents: the Kampala Final Document and the Political Declaration on Palestine.
Ministers reached consensus on the Final Document yesterday after addressing contentious issues, such as the Israeli war on Gaza and the China-South Sea conflict. Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, confirmed the swift adoption of the documents.
Antonia Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is expected to address the Heads of State and Government today, emphasizing the significance of the summit. Representatives from the Regional Groups, including the African, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and European regions, will also voice key concerns.
As of midday Thursday, 1,069 delegates from 116 countries had arrived, with the number of Heads of Delegations increasing to 104, according to Dr. Sam Omara, Head of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The 19th Summit, themed “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence,” will conclude tomorrow, marking a significant step in fostering collaboration among member states.
